Chapter 243 - 213: Treading on the Waves (Part 2)

At that moment, Zhao Xuanqi stood at the ship’s bow, his feet seemingly rooted to the spot, unmoving amidst the heaving waves. The sky poured down a heavy rain, but he neither dodged nor sought shelter. Not a single drop landed on him.

His clothes fluttered as if in a breeze, though there was none. It was as if a Qi Shield enveloped him, causing the rain to part automatically, never touching his body.

With a mere thought, Gang Qi manifested.

Seeing Zhao Xuanqi, Sun Yunyong sighed in admiration. He never would have thought that the young man who had only been at the peak of Cross-Training such a short time ago could have reached such a realm.

"Watch out for the waves!! Turn the rudder!! Turn the rudder!!"

SPLASH!!

Suddenly, a colossal wave, more than ten meters high, surged from the sea. The fishing boat had no time to react. It was instantly lifted high and pitched violently to one side. The helmsman lost control of the rudder; even if the boat didn’t capsize, it was about to be thrown off course.

THUD!!

Just then, with a muffled thud, Zhao Xuanqi slightly lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the deck.

The entire fishing boat shuddered. A terrifying power had cleverly bypassed the hull, transmitting directly into the waves below—a perfect example of Hitting the Bull from Afar.

BOOM!!

The sea within a twenty-meter radius instantly exploded outward. The boat’s violent tilt was corrected, allowing it to evade the wave’s impact without deviating from its course in the slightest.

It was a scene of both spectacular and terrifying power.

A dead silence fell over the cabin. Everyone stared at Zhao Xuanqi on the bow as if he were a monster. Even Sun Yunyong was stunned, never imagining that Zhao Xuanqi was capable of something like this.

To produce such an effect in a split second—without using any Secret Techniques, without a violent eruption of Qi and Blood, and without even a major Force Release...

’Even an expert at the Five Qi Tongxuan level would struggle to do that, wouldn’t they?’

"Sun, who on earth is this person?"

A member of the National Salvation Association in the cabin couldn’t help but ask Sun Yunyong. They didn’t know Zhao Xuanqi’s identity, nor the specific details of their mission.

Zhao Xuanqi still wore his disguise, so they couldn’t recognize him by his appearance.

But this display of Martial Dao and power was simply incredible, bordering on the realm of a human changing the course of nature itself.

"Don’t ask questions you aren’t supposed to ask. Remember the confidentiality agreement. Take what you saw today to your grave."

Sun Yunyong said gravely. The men nodded, respecting the protocol, and asked no more questions.

Zhao Xuanqi stood at the bow, watching the churning waves around him, but felt no sense of accomplishment.

’Sudden thunder, violent gales, and the raging tides of the ocean... how terrifying. Even at the realm of Harmony, I can only influence a small area around myself. What is that compared to the power of nature?’

Just then, everyone spotted a light ahead, bobbing on the dark, churning waves. It appeared to be the lamp of another fishing boat, swaying in the tide.

But Zhao Xuanqi’s sharp gaze saw farther and with greater clarity than the others.

Piercing through the wind and rain, he saw an insignificant shadow on the surface of the churning sea, not far from the other fishing boat.

Against the surging tide, the vast ocean, and the howling storm, that shadow was utterly minuscule.

And yet, that tiny figure was standing upon the surface of the sea, remaining perfectly steady no matter how violently the great waves surged.

The giant waves were beneath his feet.

It was a person!

He was treading upon the giant waves!

The power of nature is majestic and overwhelming, but a Martial Artist’s purpose is to break all limits, conquer the self, and challenge the impossible.

To battle heaven and earth, to be the master of one’s own fate—that is the true spirit of a Martial Artist!

"Excellent!!"

A sharp light glinted in Zhao Xuanqi’s eyes as he let out a thunderous cry. Though he could only make out a silhouette, he knew it was the man he had come to meet tonight.

’One of the three great generals of the National Salvation Association, "Undying" Yang Xun. His presence is as extraordinary as they say.’

The Qi and Blood surged within Zhao Xuanqi, and his fighting spirit soared. With a light tap of his toes, his body became as light as a bird. He leaped high into the air, jumping from the deck and down toward the surface of the sea.

Fierce gales howled across the sea, yet they couldn’t stir his paper-light body, for the Gang Qi surging around him parted the winds.

"Wha... what...?!"

The others lacked Zhao Xuanqi’s vision; they couldn’t see the man standing on the water. All they saw was a distant speck of light, indicating their destination was near. But it was still at least a kilometer or two away. To leap into the sea amidst such violent winds and colossal waves—how was that any different from suicide?

Ignoring the wind and rain, the men rushed out from the cabin and onto the deck, peering out over the sea.

They watched as Zhao Xuanqi landed on the surface of the water. With a tap of his toes, the waves in a four-to-five-meter radius instantly caved in, the reactive force launching him into the air again. After a few more bounds, his figure disappeared across the water. To him, the churning surface of the sea was like solid ground.

At the realm of experts like Zhao Xuanqi, their Power Generation and use of Force are beyond ordinary. The Harmony state allows for such fine control over the body that a single casual movement can release dozens of types of Force. When this Force is spread out like a great net, one can stand upon the surface of the sea!

However, masters who had reached Harmony were exceedingly rare. How could these men have ever witnessed such a spectacle? For a moment, they were all left utterly dumbfounded.

"Force like a net, walking on water as if it were solid ground?!"

Sun Yunyong, after all, was an expert from the Divine Martial Department. His own Martial Arts Cultivation was high, having reached the realm of Five Qi Tongxuan, and he was widely experienced. He recognized Zhao Xuanqi’s ability at a single glance.

A master of the Five Qi Chaoyuan realm could also walk on water, but if their mastery of Force was lacking, their control would not be precise enough. They couldn’t sustain it for long, nor could they treat the water as solid ground. Any attempt to use Force Release for combat on the water’s surface would be severely hampered.

Only by reaching the realm of Harmony, where one’s control of Force becomes infinitesimally precise, could a person treat water as solid ground and fight using Force Release without hindrance. And to do so now, amidst the churning sea and raging winds, was more difficult still.

And yet, Zhao Xuanqi had done it.

A tingling sensation, like an electric shock, ran through Sun Yunyong’s body, and his scalp went numb.

’Could it be... that Zhao Xuanqi has already broken through to that realm?!’

Meanwhile, Yang Xun, still dressed as a farmer, stood atop the raging tide. Ripples spread out from beneath his feet as he applied Force, and no matter how the tide rose and fell, his figure remained steady upon the water’s surface.

He, too, saw the lights of the approaching boat and knew that Zhao Xuanqi’s party was near. At the same time, through some unseen connection, he felt Zhao Xuanqi’s gaze land upon him.

What he hadn’t expected, however, was to see a figure leap directly from the boat. The figure flickered as it rushed toward him, completely unhindered by the heaving waves.

’This is...’

His expression changed in an instant. With a light tap of his foot, he shot forward to meet the approaching figure.

RUMBLE!!

Lightning flashed, rain poured, and the sea churned.

At this very moment, no one could have imagined that here, on the storm-tossed surface of the sea, two figures would be standing upon the crests of the waves, facing one another.

This was a scene straight out of myth and legend.

CRACKLE! CRACKLE!

Zhao Xuanqi looked at the farmer-like man before him. With a series of crackling pops, his body stretched inch by inch, returning to his tall, natural form.

"I never thought you would have already broken through to the Realm of Understanding and Agreement."

Looking at Zhao Xuanqi standing steadily before him, even Yang Xun, a man who had weathered countless storms, couldn’t suppress his shock.

’This man is far too young to have reached such a level. It’s simply beyond description.’

"I have only just entered the realm of Harmony and have yet to face a master of your caliber from the Divine Land. I hope you will indulge me with your instruction."

Zhao Xuanqi’s expression was calm, but his voice boomed like thunder.

"HAHAHAHAHA!! The younger generation is truly a force to be reckoned with! This trip was well worth it!!"

Yang Xun also laughed loudly.

As their laughter collided, the resulting Sound Waves exploded with such force that the rain falling within a radius of over ten meters was blasted apart.

The instant after the Sound Waves spread out,

WHOOSH!!

The two figures shot forward simultaneously, fists and palms colliding!

BOOM!!

Qi Force roiled and the impact was transmitted outward, striking an incoming wave and blasting it into a million droplets of water!